Hidden Potential
by Nightcrawler8
Summary: A demon kidnaps Tom from the Manor and threatens to turn him evil unless Michael and Phoebe do as he says. Can they trust the demon to hold up his end of the bargain?
1. Kidnapped

Hidden Potential  
  
(This is a continuation of the universe I created in Lineage and that is continued in The Dark Half, Family Ties, Darkness Rising, Destiny's Call, and The Last Guard at the Gate.)  
  
CHAPTER 1: Kidnapped  
  
Michael drove back from the office with a slight heaviness in his heart. Despite the fact that everything was going well for him and the Charmed Ones, Cole's absence was painful.  
  
Michael sighed and turned on the radio. Cole had been one of the first people besides Phoebe that truly connected with him. As cousins, they'd grown closer to one another, and later loved one another as families should. And even though he knew that as a Guardian, Cole would be watching over him, Michael couldn't help but feel sad at the fact that he wasn't around.  
  
Michael turned onto Prescott Street and parked the car. As he walked up to the Manor, he felt some of the pain ease away, and he smiled at how well things actually were for them. In the months since Cole had left, Tom and Wyatt were both beginning to speak much more coherently than normal for children their age. Phoebe's column was still a big hit. Business at P3 had been better than ever. Paige's status as a social worker was becoming more recognized. And, perhaps more importantly, the Devourers hadn't shown themselves since that first attack.  
  
Michael opened the door and quietly shut it, remembering that Tom and Wyatt were probably napping. However, as he listened more closely, he could hear Tom talking to his bears, while nothing came from Wyatt's baby monitor except soft breathing. As he walked into the living room, he saw that it was a good thing that he'd come in quietly because Phoebe was dozing on the couch.  
  
Michael smiled as he looked at the sleeping form of his beautiful wife. Setting his briefcase down on the floor, Michael knelt next to the couch and gently kissed Phoebe on the forehead. She stirred, and then opened her eyes. Seeing Michael looking at her, Phoebe allowed a warm smile to come to her face. "Hello, husband," she said softly.  
  
"Hello, wife," he replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "How was work?"  
  
"Pretty light today," she said, "but I'll probably make up for it tomorrow, and I'll be lucky if I make deadline. What about you?"  
  
"Just a board meeting, nothing too spectacular," Michael said. "We've been tossing around the possibility of expansion, but we're not too sure if it's a good idea yet."  
  
Phoebe sat up and motioned for him to sit next to her. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "You've seemed a little quieter than usual."  
  
"I miss Cole," he said with a sad look. "I wish he hadn't had to leave."  
  
"I know," said Phoebe. "I miss him, too. But I'm sure he's happy up there with Katrina."  
  
"Yeah," said Michael, "and if he is, I'm fine with it. Besides, I'm very content to know that I have people who love me around me and watching over me."  
  
"One of whom happens to be sitting next to you," Phoebe said, leaning against him.  
  
Michael allowed himself to relax at the feel of Phoebe's warm body against his. As he did, he listened to the noises of the room, hearing Piper talking to Leo in the solarium, and the noises coming from the baby monitors.  
  
Suddenly, Tom abruptly stopped talking with his bears. At that same moment, a feeling of absolute horror rose in Michael. He sat up straight and looked around alertly.  
  
"What's wrong, baby?" Phoebe asked, noticing the worried look on his face.  
  
"Tom just stopped talking all of a sudden," he said. "And I can't sense him."  
  
"What?" she said. "Do you think he orbed somewhere?"  
  
"If he had, I would have been able to sense him like the last time, unless..." he left the sentence incomplete.  
  
"Let's go check his room," Phoebe said quickly. They quietly yet quickly made their way up the stairs to Tom's room. And as they opened the door, their worst fears were confirmed.  
  
Tom wasn't in his crib.  
  
"Where could he be?" said Phoebe in a choked voice. The possibilities of what probably happened were too frightening to think about.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" said Michael. He pointed to a piece of paper that had been left in the crib.  
  
Phoebe walked over and picked up the paper. As she read it, all the color drained from her face. "Oh, God," she said as she started to collapse. Michael caught her before she hit the floor. "They took him, Michael. They took our baby," said Phoebe in a weak voice. The note slipped out of her now trembling hands and Michael caught it. As Michael read it, his face darkened with anger and fear while Phoebe burst into tears.  
  
'We have your child. If you try to rescue him, we will kill him.'  
  
****  
  
"Were you successful?" asked Krito.  
  
"Yes, we were," said Krazar. "The child is in the holding cell as you requested."  
  
"Good," said Krito, rubbing his hands together. "I think I'll let them sweat a while before I tell them what I want. By then, they'll be so frantic that they'll do whatever it takes to get their son back."  
  
****  
  
The Manor was in turmoil. Leo, Paige and Piper were shocked and then angry when they learned what had happened. Phoebe had stopped crying but was still extremely upset and irate over the kidnapping. However, Michael's expression was impassive, and it was impossible to judge what he was feeling.  
  
"I swear, if they hurt him, I'll vanquish every one of their sorry asses," said Phoebe angrily. "Then they'll know not to mess with us, not to mess with our family."  
  
"Why can't we get him back on our own?" said Paige.  
  
"What do you think they'll do to Tom knowing they're about to die at the hands of the Charmed Ones?" said Leo. Paige didn't answer as she saw Leo was right.  
  
"Leo's right," said Piper. "We can't go in there guns blazing. We need a plan."  
  
"They need him for something," said Michael. "This seems more like a ransom situation than anything else. That means, at least for right now, he's probably unharmed."  
  
"What could they possibly want from us that they haven't already taken?" said Phoebe. Her voice broke on a sob, and Michael came and held her close.  
  
"Shh, honey," said Michael, kissing the top of her head. "We'll get him back, and everything will be fine. I promise."  
  
"So, what do we do now?" asked Paige.  
  
"We wait," said Michael. "They'll probably send somebody to contact us, so until then, we do nothing. In the meantime, I suggest we all get some sleep, so we'll at least have some energy for tomorrow." He then orbed Phoebe up to their room.  
  
"Poor Phoebe," said Piper sadly. "I can't even imagine what she must be going through. If it were Wyatt, I'm sure I'd feel the same way."  
  
"What about Michael?" Paige asked. "He seemed so distant."  
  
"He's probably just holding it together for Phoebe," said Leo. "Trust me; on the inside, he's hurting just as much as she is."  
  
****  
  
Phoebe barely slept all night. She kept having nightmares about what the demons could be doing to her baby boy. She saw them incinerate him with fireballs, rip his insides out and eat them, and torture him in the most bloodthirsty manner. At about 5:00, she suddenly couldn't take it anymore, and started crying hysterically.  
  
Michael woke up almost immediately and took her into his arms. He gently rubbed her back, whispering, "It's ok, baby. I'm here."  
  
Phoebe sniffled. "I'm so scared, Michael. I don't know if he's sick or hurt or cold, and if he is, I can't do anything to help him. If anything happens to him, I don't know what I'd do."  
  
"You need to have faith," he said reassuringly. "You know, I never told you this, but every time you were in pain while I was behind the cloak in the castle, I could feel it on the edges of my mind. It pissed me off that I couldn't leave and comfort you. But I had faith that things would change, and someday I would be there to ease the pain. So don't you lose faith now, ok? You need to be strong."  
  
Phoebe looked into his eyes with wonder. "How do you do that?" she asked.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Even in the scariest situations, you always have a calming presence," she said. "It's like your love for me is so tangible that I could wrap myself in it like a blanket."  
  
"I suppose that's part of what it means to be married," he said, gently kissing her lips. "Why don't you try and get some more sleep now?"  
  
"'Kay," she said sleepily. "Love you," she said as she leaned against him and drifted back to sleep, this time more peacefully.  
  
****  
  
"Bring him before me," said Krito. Krazar brought Tom over to the altar and placed him on top of it. Krito produced an athame and made a small cut on his hand. As the blood dripped onto Tom's forehead, Krito began to chant. Soon, Tom was glowing with an evil light. Krito smiled wickedly. Everything was going according to plan.  
  
****  
  
"What's taking so long?" Phoebe said nervously. It was about 2:00 p.m. the next day.  
  
"Honey, we'll get him back," Michael stated firmly. "They'll be here soon."  
  
As if summoned, a demon appeared. He had a smile on his face as he said, "Hello. I must say, you don't live up to your reputation. I thought you'd be taller."  
  
Michael growled, and a fireball appeared unconsciously. The demon smiled, and said, "Now, now. Calm down. Killing me will solve nothing, but it could cost you a lot." Michael extinguished the fireball.  
  
"Where's my son?" Phoebe demanded.  
  
The demon's smile widened as he said, "Safe...for now. Whether or not he stays that way is up to you."  
  
"What do you want?" Michael said. He appeared calm, but Piper could see how tense his muscles were.  
  
"I want the Kzarain Orb," the demon stated.  
  
Leo paled, and said, "No, you can't be serious."  
  
"Leo, what is it?" Piper asked.  
  
"The Kzarain Orb brings out the hidden potential in anyone. It can make you twenty times stronger. However, only Evil can activate it, and we stole it decades ago," Leo explained.  
  
"Exactly, I want it. Get it for me, and I'll let Tom go," the demon said. "Only good can get to it, and only you are strong enough to get it out. Bring it to me."  
  
"How do we know we can trust you?" Paige demanded.  
  
"You don't. But you have twenty four hours to bring it, or else..." the demon left the threat open.  
  
"If you hurt him..." Phoebe started angrily.  
  
"I wouldn't dare. But I don't make that promise for you," the demon replied smugly.  
  
"You think you can kill us?" Michael asked incredulously. Even now, Michael could feel how weak this demon was.  
  
The demon paused, and then said, "I never told you my name. I am Krito the Corrupter."  
  
Leo gasped, and said, "You wouldn't!"  
  
"Leo, what is it?" Phoebe asked worriedly.  
  
"Krito has the power to corrupt the innocent into becoming evil," Leo said gravely.  
  
"Oh my God...you son of a bitch!" Michael yelled. He could feel the burning rage building inside him. Almost unconsciously, he formed another fireball in his hand.  
  
"You can kill me if you want. It won't make a difference to me. I already started the ritual, and my death won't change anything."  
  
"You'll be dead," Michael growled.  
  
"And your son will be unspeakably corrupt, and the Underworld will have its new leader. And I'll be remembered. In twenty four hours, the ritual becomes irreversible. Give me the Orb, and I'll reverse it. Don't, and Tom will come to kill you all. Tell me, do you think you can you kill your own son?" Krito said with an evil grin as Michael reluctantly extinguished the fireball. Then he shimmered out.  
  
Michael was shaking with anger. Phoebe came to his side and took his hand in hers. "We'll get him back," she said, squeezing his hand.  
  
Michael took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down. After a minute, he said, "Where is this Orb, Leo?"  
  
"It's in a temple in Tibet," he said. "Remember, it is guarded by magic, so you'll have to be careful."  
  
"I understand," said Michael. As he started to orb out, he felt Phoebe reach for him again, and he stopped orbing. "Honey, what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm going with you," Phoebe said firmly.  
  
"You should stay here, where it's safe," Michael started, but Phoebe put a finger to his lips, silencing him.  
  
"I won't leave your side, not now," she said. "We need to be together on this, Michael. Besides, the safest place I know is with you."  
  
Despite the dark mood, Michael smiled at her. "Thank you, Phoebe," he said appreciatively. He extended his hand to her, and they orbed out together.  
  
****  
  
Michael and Phoebe materialized at the entrance to an ancient temple. The walls had numerous cracks, indicating the age of the structure. Michael had barely a second to dwell on this, for he immediately felt a pull, a surge of energy. "I can feel the Orb," he said to Phoebe. He started walking into the temple, Phoebe just behind him.  
  
Several minutes of walking brought them into a large chamber. Michael had made a fireball to light their way, and the etchings of an ancient language were inscribed on the walls. They noticed that the same symbols were repeated over and over.  
  
"I wonder what it says," Phoebe mused.  
  
"'Only the righteous shall know the power,'" Michael read.  
  
"How did you know what it said?" Phoebe asked, amazed.  
  
"It's the same language inscribed on the Stone of Creation," explained Michael. "That raises an interesting question. Who built this place?"  
  
"Perhaps it was your ancestors," suggested Phoebe.  
  
"It would make sense," said Michael. He stretched out to the pull, and he could feel it coming from the back of the chamber. As the walked forward, a strong forcefield stopped them and threw them back about ten feet.  
  
"Ouch," commented Phoebe as Michael helped her to her feet. "How do we get past it?"  
  
"If this place was built by my ancestors, then I think I know exactly what can diffuse the field," he said. He summoned Excalibur and walked forward again. This time, as the sword made contact with the field, there was a single spark, and the blade passed through the invisible wall. "Come on," said Michael. Phoebe came forward and held his hand, and they walked through the field without an inkling of resistance.  
  
A sudden whirring sound made them stop in their tracks. A section of the floor opened up and a pedestal rose through the hole, and on top the pedestal sat the Kzarain Orb. Michael and Phoebe walked up together, and Phoebe said, "Do you think it's safe?"  
  
"It should be," he said. "Only good could use the sword to get past the field, so I think so." Michael gingerly reached out and picked up the Orb. He quickly reached for Phoebe's hand, and they orbed back to the Manor.  
  
****  
  
When they materialized, they found Krito waiting for them along with the others. "Ah, I see you successfully retrieved the Orb," he said. "Hand it to me, please."  
  
"First, you bring our son back and undo the corruption," said Phoebe, glaring at him.  
  
"Very well," said Krito. He gestured, and Krazar appeared holding Tom, who still had an evil glow about him. Krazar handed Tom to Krito, who began to chant. Within a minute, the evil glow had faded from Tom. "Now, hand me the Orb." Michael walked forward and placed the Orb in Krito's outstretched hand.  
  
"My son, if you please," said Michael coldly.  
  
Krito smiled evilly. "Did you really think I'd give him back? I'm going to use the Orb on him, and then I'm going to leave. Your son will be raised in the Underworld, to fulfill his destiny, and inherit the Source's throne." Krito began to chant again.  
  
"NO!" said Michael and he lunged forward as an energy beam shot out of the Orb. He grabbed Krito's arm, and instead of hitting Tom, the beam struck the sisters. They gasped and closed their eyes. When they opened them, all three of them glowed with pure power.  
  
"Oh, shit," said Krito as he realized what had happened. He started to back away in fear.  
  
"You said it," Phoebe said coldly. She gestured, and Tom floated through the air and landed in her arms. At the same time, Piper and Paige both looked at Krito, and he promptly burst into flames and exploded, along with the Orb. Krazar started to shimmer out, but Michael simply gestured and the shimmering stopped.  
  
"Kill me now, and get it over with," Krazar begged.  
  
"I don't think we have to, as long as you can assure us that you won't be coming after our son anymore," said Michael.  
  
"You have my word," said Krazar with a strange smile. He then shimmered as quickly as possible.  
  
"Oh, my baby," said Phoebe, hugging Tom tightly as tears of joy rolled down her face. Michael came and wrapped strong arms around his wife and son.  
  
"It's over," said Michael. "I told you all you needed was a little faith."  
  
"I never doubted you for a second," said Phoebe.  
  
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to sleep now," said Paige, yawning. The others followed suit and went to their respective bedrooms.  
  
Michael and Phoebe fell into a peaceful sleep almost at once, as both were overwhelmed but happy that their son was safe. However, neither of them noticed when Tom suddenly flamed out of the room.  
  
****  
  
"I did what you asked, my new Master," said Krazar, kneeling. "I lied to the Charmed Ones and told them what you wanted."  
  
"Yes, you did," Tom said as he stepped out of the shadows, now in his adult form. He gestured, and the demon exploded. "And you have been rewarded." His eyes flamed and turned completely black - the mark of the Source.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. The Evil Within

CHAPTER 2: The Evil Within  
  
The various faction leaders gathered in the Main Chamber of the Underworld. "Who called this meeting?" asked Glarg, leader of the Grimlocks.  
  
"I did," said a deep voice. All turned to see a young man of about twenty three enter the chamber. He had long dark hair which was tied behind his head and a sinister gleam in his eyes.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Glarg.  
  
"Your new leader," said Tom as his eyes flamed and turned completely black, and then back to normal.  
  
"The Source...but that's impossible," said Hahn, leader of the combined warlock clans. "The Grimoire has been missing for weeks."  
  
"I am a direct descendent of the first Source," said Tom, sitting down on the throne. "I claim this throne by right of blood."  
  
"Why should we follow you?" snarled Glarg.  
  
Tom looked at Glarg and his eyes flamed again. Glarg exploded almost immediately. Tom then turned his gaze at the other faction leaders. "Does anyone else wish to challenge my authority?" After a minute of silence, Tom continued, "In that case let's get down to business. Does anyone have any issues to discuss?"  
  
Hahn took a step forward. "What do you intend to do about the Charmed Ones? They've been a thorn in our side for long enough," he said.  
  
Tom smiled evilly and looked upward. "Don't worry about them," he said. "I'll take care of them myself. I have something very special planned for them."  
  
****  
  
"Hurry up with that coffee! Time's a-wasting!" said Phoebe. She and Piper were scrambling to get to work on time, as Phoebe had to finish her column for her deadline and Piper had a health inspector coming to P3.  
  
"Good morning, ladies," said Michael as he entered the kitchen with Tom in his arms.  
  
"Good morning, mama!" said Tom enthusiastically.  
  
"Here's my boy!" said Phoebe as she lifted Tom from Michael's arms and gave him a kiss. "And here's my man," she said more seriously as she and Michael kissed.  
  
"Would you two please get a room?" said Paige as she entered the kitchen. "I swear, Michael, you and Phoebe are more sweetly disgusting together than she was with Cole."  
  
"You don't see me making cracks about you and Glen, do you?" Phoebe challenged playfully.  
  
"Well, he and I don't kiss each other in front of other people nearly as often as the two of you," she said, now smiling and her older sister. "Speaking of my boyfriend, I promised him that I'd meet him at his place for brunch, so I'll catch up with you guys later. Bye!" Paige picked up her purse and left the kitchen.  
  
"When will the two of you grow up?" said Leo, grinning, as he entered the kitchen holding Wyatt. "Hi, honey," he said to Piper.  
  
"Well, for once they didn't call you before breakfast," she said, giving him a kiss. Suddenly, Leo looked skyward. "Why do I ever bother opening my mouth when all it does is jinx things?"  
  
"Sounds pretty urgent," he said, quickly handing Wyatt to Piper. "I'll see you two later."  
  
"Bye, dada!" said Wyatt as Leo orbed out.  
  
"Ooh!" exclaimed Piper. "Sometimes I am so tempted to blow him up for this."  
  
"You wouldn't, because that would be evil," said Michael, chuckling.  
  
"How would you like to watch two toddlers today instead of one?" Piper threatened.  
  
"I think I'll pass on that," said Michael.  
  
"In that case, Wyatt, Mommy will give you something to eat after we get to the club," said Piper, grabbing her purse. "See you later, guys!"  
  
"Bye, Wyatt, bye, Auntie Piper!" said Tom as they left.  
  
"I guess that just leaves you and me," said Michael as he wrapped his arms around Phoebe's waist from behind her.  
  
"We can't, honey," she protested. "I've got to go..." she looked at her watch, "...right now! Bye, sweeties!" she said, giving Michael and Tom quick kisses before rushing out the door.  
  
"Well, kiddo, I guess that just leaves you and me for today," said Michael. "Think you could have some fun with the old man?"  
  
"Definitely," said Tom, smiling at his father. As Michael turned away to get Tom his breakfast, he didn't see his son's eyes flame momentarily.  
  
****  
  
Leo materialized in front of the Elders. "You summoned me?" he confirmed.  
  
"Yes, Leo," said Julius, the head Elder. "Something disturbing has come to our attention. It seems that somehow the projected future of your nephew Thomas has grown darker."  
  
"How so?" asked Leo, shocked to hear such news.  
  
"We aren't exactly sure," said Julius, "but we think the recent events have somehow influenced him."  
  
"But we were sure Krito had reversed the corruption," Leo said.  
  
"Are you certain that the evil did not resist being extracted?" asked Julius.  
  
"We thought it had worked at the time," said Leo. "I'll take a look at him when I get back."  
  
"Be careful, Leo," cautioned Julius. "If our suspicions are correct, he could become very dangerous to you in the future."  
  
"I understand," said Leo. He orbed out, hoping that if the Elders were right, it wasn't already too late.  
  
****  
  
"Daddy, can I look at the Book of Shadows?" Tom asked.  
  
"The Book isn't a toy, Tom," said Michael.  
  
"I know that, but I want to look at it so I can fight demons like you and Mommy. Please," he begged.  
  
"Well, I don't think there should be any problem with that, just as long as you're careful with it, ok?" Michael cautioned.  
  
"I promise," said Tom. Michael picked him up and carried him to the attic.  
  
He set Tom on the floor and placed the Book in front of him. "I'll be downstairs if you need me," he said.  
  
"Ok, Daddy," said Tom. As soon as Michael left the room, Tom grinned evilly. He gestured at the Book, which pulsed once with a dark glow. Tom then left the attic and went to his own room. "I'm playing with my toys now!" he yelled down the stairs. After he closed the door, he flamed out.  
  
****  
  
Phoebe looked at the pile of letters on her desk and groaned in frustration. It was going to take a miracle for her to get the column finished by tomorrow. Elise poked her head in the office and said, "Remember, deadline is tomorrow at 7:00 sharp, Phoebe."  
  
"Bitch," Phoebe whispered after she left the office. Phoebe then looked at her next letter.  
  
'Dear Phoebe, I found my husband cheating on me and I want revenge. What should I do?'  
  
'Well,' Phoebe typed, 'I'd take a butcher knife and cut off his manhood. That way he'll never be able to stick it where it doesn't belong again.' After she typed this, Phoebe thought, 'What possessed me to type that? It does seem to make sense though. The guy deserves it. At least I have a husband who gives me what I need and doesn't dick around.' Suddenly, Phoebe grinned as she knew exactly what she wanted right then. She quickly saved the column to her disk and yelled to Elise, "I'm going to be working from the Manor for the rest of the day, and don't worry, I'll have the column finished on time."  
  
"You'd better," Elise warned.  
  
As the elevator descended, Phoebe thought, 'God, I should kill that woman. One fireball when she's not looking should do the trick.'  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, the health inspector was looking around P3 and was nearly finished. Wyatt was growing antsy, and Piper was starting to get frustrated with how long it was taking. "How much longer is this going to be?" she snapped irritably.  
  
"Mrs. Wyatt, you can't expect me to rush this if you want to pass inspection," he said. "I'm just doing my job."  
  
Piper decided she'd had enough. "You know what?" she said. "I don't care about your job. This club has passed inspection every time for the past three years, and quite frankly, it pisses me off that you people don't trust me to meet your standards."  
  
"Please be reasonable here, Mrs. Wyatt..."  
  
"Mommy, he's annoying me," said Wyatt. "Why don't you just blow him up?"  
  
"Hey, that's a good idea," said Piper with a wicked grin. She gestured at the floor next to the health inspector and it exploded next to him. "Now, unless you want that to be you, I suggest that you mark off everything on that report as satisfactory and leave now. Otherwise, I'm going to blast you right now." The health inspector fled the club. 'That was weird,' thought Piper. 'But it was definitely fun.'  
  
****  
  
Paige and Glen were walking arm in arm back from the café where they'd gone for brunch. As Paige was looking at Glen, she thought she saw him eye a blond woman. She snapped, "Glen, what the hell are you doing?"  
  
"Huh?" he said, confused.  
  
"Don't play innocent with me," she said, letting go of his arm. "I saw you eyeing that blond bitch."  
  
"Paige, I didn't..."  
  
"You know what? I don't want to hear it," she snapped. "If I ever catch you eyeing another woman again, I'll skin you and eat you alive." Glen backed away in fear. He didn't know what was going on, but if there was one thing he learned, when it came to the Charmed Ones, anything could happen.  
  
Paige wondered what had come over her, but whatever it was, she liked it. She walked into an alley and prepared to orb back to the Manor. However, instead, to her utter surprise, she blinked...  
  
****  
  
Michael was halfway through a turkey sandwich when Leo orbed into the Manor. "Sorry it took so long to get back here," he said breathlessly. "I had some other charges to deal with first. Michael, we have a problem."  
  
"What's wrong, Leo?"  
  
"Apparently, the Elders think that Tom was affected by the kidnapping somehow, and it made his future darker," said Leo. "They also suggested that the ritual Krito used to reverse the corruption may have been faked or failed altogether."  
  
"Oh, God," said Michael, paling. "We'd better check on him." They quickly ran up the stairs to Tom's room, and were horrified when they didn't find him there. "How could he have gotten out of the house without me knowing, unless..." Michael left the sentence incomplete as the horrible truth dawned on him.  
  
"We'd better check the Book," said Leo. They orbed to the attic and saw the Book of Shadows on the floor. As they looked through the Book, Leo suddenly said, "Michael, things have gotten much worse than we thought."  
  
"What do you mean?" he said. As he looked at the page Leo had indicated, he saw that it read 'Hemlock Spell.' "Oh, God, no...the girls are turning evil?!?"  
  
"I'm afraid so," said Leo. "By this point, they're probably about halfway to becoming warlocks."  
  
"This isn't happening," said Michael in disbelief. Suddenly, he heard the door open and shut.  
  
"Hello, anybody here?" yelled Phoebe.  
  
"Phoebe..." said Michael. Without thinking, he ran down the stairs and saw Phoebe coming up from the living room. "Honey, are you ok?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"I am now," she said seductively. She pushed Michael into their bedroom and closed the door behind them. "I want you," she said, pulling him into a kiss.  
  
Michael reluctantly broke it off. "Phoebe, we can't, something's happened..."  
  
"It doesn't matter," she insisted lustfully, rubbing against him. It was taking every ounce of his strength to resist her. "I need you, Michael. Take me."  
  
"No, Phoebe," he said firmly. "You're not yourself, and I won't take advantage of you like this."  
  
Phoebe let go of him and snarled in anger. "Fine, you're too much of a goody two-shoes anyway. What else should I have expected from a rebound marriage?"  
  
"Phoebe!" he exclaimed, shocked at her venomous words.  
  
"Maybe I should have stayed with Cole after all," she sneered as she opened the door. "At least he knew how to treat a girl." Phoebe turned her back on him and walked to the attic.  
  
Michael felt tears rolling down his cheeks. How could she have hurt him like this? How could she even think of him this way? Shaking himself, he went after her.  
  
By this point, Piper, Wyatt, and Paige had all arrived home and were up in the attic with Leo. "I still can't believe I blinked!" Paige said excitedly.  
  
"Believe me, it only gets better from here," said Piper.  
  
"Piper, this is just like the last time, with Dantalian," said Leo. "You have to fight through this."  
  
"Oh, would you shut up!" Piper snarled. She gestured and blew Leo up into orbs. When he reformed, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"Hey, everybody, can I join the party?" said Phoebe as she entered the attic.  
  
"Mommy, will you teach me the powers?" asked Wyatt. He, too, had been affected.  
  
"Of course I will," said Piper. "After all, we have to make sure that the next Power of Three follows in our footsteps, right?"  
  
"Phoebe, wait!" said Michael as he entered the attic. "We need to talk."  
  
"I'm through with talking, Michael," she said. Suddenly, she levitated and kicked Michael backwards, and laughed at him. Before Michael could react to that, he suddenly felt something hit him in the back, and he fell forward. He rolled over to see a man in his mid-twenties standing over him.  
  
"Who are you?" Michael asked.  
  
"Don't you recognize me?" asked the man, smiling wickedly.  
  
"No," Michael admitted. "Should I?"  
  
"Oh, that hurts," he said sarcastically. "I recognize you, Father."  
  
Michael's eyes widened. "Tom?" he questioned uncertainly.  
  
"Bravo! Give the man a prize!"  
  
"But, how..." Michael started.  
  
"I chose to shapeshift into the form I would have as an adult," Tom said. "Now, if you'll excuse me Father, I have an Underworld to rule."  
  
"No, son, you have to fight this."  
  
"I don't want to fight it," Tom sneered. "I've never felt so free before." Turning to the Charmed Ones, he said, "Come Mother, Aunts, and cousin. We have an Underworld to rule together." They respectively flamed or blinked out in succession.  
  
As Tom flamed out, Michael used his magic to passively probe his son's mind, and found nothing but blackness. Michael felt his hopes die as he realized that he wasn't strong enough to stop this evil, to save his son, or his wife. 'Maybe not alone, but together we will save them,' a voice murmured in his mind.  
  
'Cole?' Michael gasped.  
  
'Hello, cousin. Did you really think I'd let my nephew or anyone else in my family go evil? Take what you need from me.' Raw power rushed into Michael as Cole bent his vast reservoirs to Michael's desires. Confident now that the Guardian power was flowing through him, Michael orbed to the Underworld.  
  
****  
  
Michael materialized in the Underworld and saw his family standing near Tom's throne. "Have you changed your mind, Father?" asked Tom.  
  
"Actually, no," Michael said grimly. Michael floated off the ground and began to glow with pure power.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Tom yelled.  
  
"I'm destroying what shouldn't be in you in the first place," said Michael. He gestured and a white beam of energy leapt from his hand and entered Tom.  
  
"NO!" yelled Tom. However, the yell was abruptly cut short as a dark cloud flowed out of Tom's body. Michael focused the energy beam on the cloud, and it exploded in a bright flash of light. Almost instantly, Tom reverted back to his normal age, and the girls and Wyatt shook their heads.  
  
"I'm sorry, Father," said Tom. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he hung his head in shame.  
  
Michael picked up his son and held him close. "It's ok now. It wasn't your fault." Michael sighed in relief. "Let's go home."  
  
****  
  
Somehow, everything that had transpired had been resolved rather quickly. After Leo had woken up, Piper had apologized profusely for blowing him up. Leo went to the health inspector and used memory dust to erase his memory of what had happened at P3. Paige called Glen and told him what had happened, and he was quick to forgive her.  
  
After Michael had put an exhausted Tom to sleep, Phoebe took him into their bedroom to talk. "Michael, I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I didn't mean any of what I said. I just did it to hurt you. I love you."  
  
Michael sighed. "I know, but I still wonder if you would be happier with my cousin."  
  
Phoebe looked at Michael and said, "Cole and I were great together, but we never had what you and I did nor what you and I have now." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I am more in love with you than I ever was with him, and I don't think we would have lasted even if he hadn't become the Source. Our personalities were too different. To be honest, I think I loved him because he was a 'bad boy'. The point is that I don't want him. I want you, and I love you." Before Michael had a chance to protest, Phoebe pushed him onto the bed and started to kiss his neck.  
  
Michael thought again about protesting, but as her kisses became more passionate, he changed his mind and thought, 'Oh, what the hell. No point in stopping her now that she's back to normal.'  
  
****  
  
"Cole, you used too much power to help Michael, and the barrier is weakened. The Devourers will be able to come through again. I know it was necessary, but now we have to deal with it," said Azar gravely.  
  
"Don't worry, Azar," Cole replied. "I'll take care of it when the time comes."  
  
THE END 


End file.
